New
Zealand Lizards

New
Zealand has about 60 species of lizards, the largest lizard species diversity
in a temperate region. Now nearly all are threatened, in low numbers, only found
in isolated pockets or on predator free islands. Habitat loss and introduced pests
such as cats are the primary causes. We have the highest number of cats per head
of population in the world and what is believed to be the world's largest population
of Mustelidae (stoats, ferrets etc). New Zealand lizards are found nowhere
else (endemic), and having developed free of introduced predators need our help
survive them.

Preview

Did
you know geckos can't blink so clean their eye with their tongue, as seen above.
Skinks do blink. Geckos have loose skin that is shed, skinks have tight
shiny skin not shed. Most geckos and some skinks make a chirping noise, some chatter
or croak. Skinks are generally carnivorous but eat the odd berry, geckos are omnivorous.
Both geckos and skinks can shed their tails and both bask in the sun to raise
their body temperature. Only one species of skink lays eggs. Geckos can climb
vertical glass. A pregnant lizard is referred to as 'gravid' whether carrying
eggs or live young.

New
Zealand's kawekaweau gecko, Hoplodactylus delcourti, was the largest in
the world at 600mm, and was last caught in 1870 by a Maori chief (in the Ureweras). An
unlabeled specimen, the only one known to exist, was found in the Marseille Museum
in 1986. The kawekaweau page is here.

The Sinbad Valley skink was only discovered in 2004. The striped skink
has only been sighted 120 times in the wild. The Otago and grand skink are nearly
extinct, see video below of these two.

For
the official risk classification of each New Zealand lizard clickhere